A third-generation Cajun cook reveals gumbo secrets learned from her New Orleans mother and grandmother. Get your wrists limbered up, this is the real deal, with a slow cooked roux and gumbo file powder flavoring the shrimp, crabmeat, and andouille sausage. Ay-eee!

Dry baby lima beans soak overnight before simmering for hours in the slow cooker with a ham bone and Cajun seasoning. Serve this budget-friendly dish with Mexican corn bread and a side salad for a complete meal.

Use your food processor to quickly shred potatoes for this savory kugel. Toss with eggs, salt, pepper, oil, onion and cheese. After baking for an hour, the dish gets a quick blast of high heat to give it a beautifully browned crust.